When they arrived at the courtyard house and the celestial bridal chamber, they discovered it was a

Zhou Zheng'an changed into a clean set of casual clothes, which gleamed under the kerosene lamp, and he still looked dashing.

Liu Qianqian looked at him, her face flushed again, she reached out to straighten his collar, took his arm, and the two locked the door and walked out of the courtyard.

The hutongs were bustling at night. The streetlights were dim, and the roadside stalls were steaming. Vendors selling candied hawthorns and roasted sweet potatoes called out their wares, creating a lively atmosphere reminiscent of old Beijing.

At this time, the military control commission was about to be abolished, and the curfew started much later than before.

This indicates that everything is getting better.

The two walked hand in hand through the alley, attracting the attention of many neighbors who greeted them with smiles, mainly because Zhou Zheng'an had been missing for a long time.

Zhou Zheng'an seemed very approachable, and Liu Qianqian listened with pride on her face, thinking to herself, "You have no idea how amazing my husband is."

After walking for a short distance, we arrived at a famous restaurant at the entrance of the alley.

Zhou Zheng'an led Liu Qianqian inside, found a seat by the window, picked up the menu, and without hesitation ordered a whole chicken, a dish of shredded pork with eggs and vegetables, a stir-fried vegetable dish, two bowls of rice, and a pot of hot tea.

Liu Qianqian tugged at his arm and whispered, "You ordered too much. It'll be a waste if we can't finish it."

"It's alright," Zhou Zheng'an said with a smile, patting her hand. "Your husband has a high salary now, the treatment of a top-class meritorious official. How could he let you not afford a good meal? I haven't had a proper meal with you in so long, I must make sure you eat your fill today."

His salary was already quite high, and with this outstanding contribution, the organization gave him a lot of bonuses and subsidies, so a meal was nothing to him.

This is the money that's publicly available, the money in this guy's system. Enough to feed the entire nation for several days.

The dishes were served quickly. A whole, glistening chicken was brought to the table, and its aroma instantly filled the air, making everyone's mouths water.

Zhou Zheng'an first tore off the tenderest chicken leg and put it in Liu Qianqian's bowl, then tore off a chicken wing before picking up his chopsticks to eat.

During the more than six months he spent on the front lines, he mostly ate canned food, which was considered a treat. He had never eaten such hot and fragrant meals before.

Eating canned food is something that countless people would never even imagine.

Seeing him wolf down his food, Liu Qianqian felt a pang of sadness and pain in her heart. She kept putting food on his plate, urging him to eat more, while she herself took small bites of her chicken leg.

Finally, with a beaming smile and a round, full belly, he let out two satisfied burps before sheepishly putting down his chopsticks.

The two enjoyed their meal immensely. When it was time to pay the bill, Liu Qianqian took his arm and walked back, feeling a sense of peace and happiness.

Back home, Zhou Zheng'an closed the door, shutting out the outside noise. He placed the two large canvas bags he had brought back on the table, unzipped them, and began to check the contents one by one. There were over a hundred neatly stacked cans of beef, several packets of compressed biscuits, and a few boxes of exquisitely packaged chocolates.

There were even a few boxes of American cigarettes, which were rare and precious items on the front lines.

"Did you steal these from the US again?" Liu Qianqian came over, picked up a can of beef, and looked at it over and over. It was printed with American writing that she didn't recognize.

However, she had eaten quite a lot before.

"They were all captured from the front lines, obtained from American soldiers," Zhou Zheng'an said with a smile, reaching out to ruffle her hair. These things, of course, weren't captured; he had exchanged them for system points.

But he couldn't tell her this secret, nor did he need to. He just needed her to know that these things would make her life a little better in the future, and that would be enough.

Of course, many of these are given as gifts.

He then took out a red cloth bag from the very back of the canvas bag, carefully opened it, and inside were two gleaming gold medals, one the Great Xia Special Merit Medal and the other the Great Xia Special Merit Person Medal.

The Grand Xia Special Merit is far superior to the Special Merit. Previously, Director Gao and others even held a meeting specifically to discuss Zhou Zheng'an's award.

This is the only one of its kind.

In addition, there were several commendation orders from the organization.

Liu Qianqian's eyes instantly reddened as she looked at the two medals. She reached out and gently touched them, her fingertips trembling. She knew that these two medals were earned by her man with his life; they were his glory and her pride.

After taking inventory, Liu Qianqian hugged Zhou Zheng'an tightly from behind, her cheek pressed against his back, her voice soft, filled with weariness and contentment: "Honey, let's go to sleep."

Zhou Zheng'an turned around, picked her up in his arms, kissed her on the lips, and replied with a smile, "Okay, go to sleep."

He carried the soft, warm person in his arms and walked steadily into the bedroom, gently placing her on the made bed. The curtains were drawn tightly shut, the kerosene lamp was blown out, and the room was plunged into darkness, with only the moonlight filtering through the window and falling on the two of them.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder. The longing and yearning after seven or eight months of separation, the preciousness and joy of reunion, all transformed into the most tender embrace at this moment.

Zhou Zheng'an held the person in his arms tightly, feeling her warmth and her heartbeat. The faint scent of soap lingered around her, and his heart was filled with peace.

Thus, they once again demonstrated the powerful physique they had gained from taking the Elixir of Life, so much so that they didn't fall asleep until after 3 a.m.

Liu Qianqian was so dizzy by the end that she couldn't feel the reality anymore.

Looking at Liu Qianqian who had already fallen asleep, Zhou Zheng'an was in a good mood.

He risked his life on the front lines, protecting this simple, peaceful life, this tranquility and happiness, and the girl in his arms.

Now he's back, the war is over, peace has arrived, and he can finally spend his life with his girl in peace.

And preparing to have children.

……

The next day, sunlight streamed through the cracks in the window and gently fell on Liu Qianqian's face.

She slowly opened her eyes, feeling as if her whole body had been struck by a heavy hammer, the pain unbearable, and every movement felt like being pricked by countless needles.

She tried to get up, but found it difficult to even walk; her legs felt weak and she couldn't muster any strength.

Liu Qianqian couldn't help but glare at Zhou Zheng'an, who was sleeping soundly to the side, her eyes full of reproach.

Zhou Zheng'an seemed to sense Liu Qianqian's gaze, and opened his eyes groggily. Seeing Liu Qianqian's appearance, he immediately understood what was going on, and a helpless and embarrassed smile appeared on his face.

"Honey, you're awake. How are you feeling?" Zhou Zheng'an asked cautiously.

Liu Qianqian said irritably, "So what? My whole body aches terribly, it's all your fault."

Zhou Zheng'an quickly sat up and said ingratiatingly, "It's my fault, it's my fault. You lie down and I'll make breakfast." With that, he quickly put on his clothes and went into the kitchen.

In the kitchen, Zhou Zheng'an skillfully started a fire and boiled a pot of water. He took out noodles from the cupboard. Then, after the water boiled, he put the noodles into the pot.

Next, I opened a can of beef and put the beef into the pot to cook. Then I took out some chili peppers from the spice box and sprinkled them into the pot.

Instantly, a rich aroma filled the air.

Breakfast was ready in no time.